Butterfly Fly Away
by bakaprincess85
Summary: a short One-Shot about one of Lt. Horatio Caine's cases from an Original Character's point of view.


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BUTTERFLY FLY AWAY

Darkness.

It was all I saw. I couldn't recall what happened; only that it hurt a lot and that it was hotter than any summer I've lived through.

There were sounds of sirens all around me when I came to next. Shouts were heard and something cold was trickling down my neck. It was water, I realized a bit belatedly. It wasn't as hot any more, but I still hurt all over. I tried to open my eyes, but I closed them just as fast. They stung from where dust fell in them. But from those few milliseconds I had my eyes open, I could see lots and lots of smoke. I realized then that the water that was trickling down my neck was probably from the firemen, and that the sirens belonged to those red cars that they had that contained water. I was in a fire then.

I still couldn't remember why I was in a fire.

"CATHERINE!"

That was my name being shouted. The voice was strong and authoritative and I recognized it immediately. It was the voice of Lieutenant Horatio Caine. I could recognize it anywhere. He was one of the best Crime Scene Investigators or CSI for short in Miami. He was someone I strived to be as a person. I had hopes that he would hire me when I finished my training at the Police Academy.

I tried to answer back, but my throat was burning from all that soot I probably inhaled and I didn't want to breathe more of it unless necessary – smoke inhalation was a most common COD (Cause of Death) in fires. Another side of me wanted me to scream at him to find me. I had to do something to make him aware of my position. I tried moving my right arm. Good. It wasn't broken. I felt around myself and the debris until I located my cellphone. What was it doing there on the floor anyway?

Oh.

Now I remember. I was on the phone with Lt. Caine when the blast happened. It was as if a bomb exploded. I grimaced, but focused on the cellphone. I would have time to panic later. When I was safe in a hospital bed.

I pulled the cellphone closer to me and blindly clicked the walkman button on my Sony Ericsson. Then I pressed the play button and "Butterfly Fly Away" from the Hannah Montana movie was heard next to me. It was my absolute favourite song. I didn't watch the movie, but I did download the song once I heard it over the internet. I was hooked.

There was a brief silence as the shouting stopped and then my name was called again. This time it was closer to me and I had to smile a little. I knew that Lt. Caine would find me. He wouldn't do anything less. He was that kind of a person. He wouldn't leave a stone untouched if he was in pursuit of something or someone. Even better if it was someone he knew and liked, as was the case with me. We had met a few times as I came to work at MDPD (Miami Dade Police Department) for a short while before going to the Academy. I still had no idea why he was being so nice to me, but I liked it. I haven't felt that way with anyone before. And no, before you jump to conclusion – there's nothing romantic about how I feel about him. When I'm around him, I can't help but feel safe and protected and younger than I am in reality. I want to make him proud of me and to have him aware of my presence. I guess that if I had a father, I would wish it was someone like him.

"CATHERINE!" I heard him call again and he was really near now. I tried moving my left arm, but it hurt when I twitched it. I hissed through my teeth. Yep, that one was either broken or severely bruised.

There was a rumbling sound next and I felt sunshine fall on my eyes. I screwed them tighter as I wasn't expecting that.

"Catherine," I heard him sigh as he continued to work on the stones around me. I immediately felt safer. I even managed to create a smile.

"Hey," I croaked at him, with my eyes still shut. It wasn't as bad as it was before and I gratefully tried to inhale as much fresh air as possible. I blinked up at him and my smile widened as I saw him. He was sweaty and dirty and had abrasions on his hands from moving the stones, but his smile was as blinding as the sun (though it was only a small one. I've never seen him smile much).

"Are you okay?" he asked me urgently as he moved another stone.

"I think my arm's broken," I answered huskily and then cleared my throat. "But otherwise... never better."

Another small smile.

"That's good to hear. We'll get you out as soon as possible, sweetie, okay? Just hang on for a while more."

"That was kind of lame, Lieutenant, since I'm lying on the ground," I grumbled with a grin on my face. Now that he was here all my worries disappeared and I couldn't help but joke around a bit. His eyes twinkled as a fireman moved another stone.

"Oh," I gasped as someone moved a fallen beam off my legs. I haven't even felt that.

"That hurt," I pouted. It didn't hurt too badly, thank god. A mumbled apology came over and I grinned again. I had to be in shock, I decided, because no one in their right mind would be grinning like a Cheshire Cat after being in a fire and being rescued, as I was doing right now.

"Lieutenant, do you think I'm in shock?" I asked my saviour cheerfully.

"Why would you think so?" he grunted as he and the firemen cleared a few more stones. The hole was getting bigger and they would soon be able to reach me. I clicked on the stop button of my cellphone and put it in my shirt pocket. I think they had just about enough of Miley Cyrus for now.

"Well, I'm lying here and grinning like a lunatic and blathering on. Maybe the smoke got to me," I said with another silly grin. A small chuckle escaped him. Another beam was removed and the Lieutenant climbed in and gathered me in his arms.


End file.
